Learning Difference Network

As a parent, knowing where to begin can be overwhelming. This is true whether you are suspecting a problem with your child's reading or the school has mentioned concerns. There are many great resources available from your local library. In the Madison area, online requests are a fast and efficient way to peruse the possibilities. There are several helpful books that relate to reading and dyslexia.

One of the most concise, well-written books to begin with is Parenting a Struggling Reader by Susan Hall and Louisa Moats. It has lists of questions to ask when talking with teachers, finding a tutor, navigating the IEP process, or getting private evaluations. If there is one to start with, this is it!

Another wonderful resource is Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz. This book goes into great detail about the brain, how it reads, and how the process is different for dyslexic readers. It also discusses the latest research on evaluation and remediation, as well as accommodations for learning. It is a very hopeful book and the final chapter of the book shares interviews with some famous, highly successful dyslexic adults.

Unlocking Literacy by Marcia Henry is a general overview of how to incorporate stuctured phonics and language-based multi-sensory lessons into literacy instruction at all levels. She describes the need for making language and words predictable, especially for those to whom literacy doesn't come easily. Also very user friendly.

Straight talk about reading: how parents can make a difference during the early years.
by Susan L. Hall and Louisa C. Moats, Ed.D.
A 359-page book that covers America's Reading Crisis, issues concerning education programs and how they are educating teachers about reading, understanding different approaches to teaching reading, what parents can do to help and what to do when reading is difficult for your child.

For the latest on the connections between language, literacy and the brain, consider Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain by Maryanne Wolf of Tufts University. This book offers amazing insight into the complexities of reading and dyslexia. This book is neither quick nor easy but well work the effort it takes to understand what is known about how the brain works when reading is easy or when reading is a struggle.

More to come...